Race and Inequality

Racial Disparity in Police Contacts

Professor of Sociology, University of Washington

Key Findings

Thirty percent of students had some contact with the police and 23% said they only had contact and had not been arrested by the police.

Seven percent of participants reported having been arrested and 2% reported they had been placed in a juvenile detention center.

Black as likely as Whites to report police contact (40% to 21% respectively.

Blacks reported more property crime than Whites, but both groups reported crimes of similar violence levels.

The likelihood of participant police contact was increased by parents or siblings being involved with criminal activity, higher observations of reward for negative behavior, having school disciplinary actions, and knowing adults who engaged in criminal behavior.

School discipline was connected to race differences in police citizen interactions.

Description

In the article, “Racial Disparity in Police Contacts,” Crutchfield and his co-authors examine the role that race plays in police/citizen interactions. The researchers conducted their study by surveying 311 Black and White eighth-grade students in Seattle, Washington school districts. The survey was designed to measure police contact, which the researchers described as being picked up or stopped by the police; in trouble with the police; arrested by the police, and/or spending time in a juvenile detention center. The results showed that 70% of surveyed students had no contact with the police. Thirty percent of students had some contact with the police, and 23% said they only had contact and had not been arrested by the police. Only 7% of participants reported having been arrested, and 2% reported they had been placed in a juvenile detention center. Black teens were twice as likely as Whites to report police contact (40% to 21% respectively. Blacks reported more property crime than Whites, but both groups reported crimes of similar violence levels. The likelihood of participant police contact was increased by parents or siblings being involved with criminal activity, higher observations of reward for negative behavior, having school disciplinary actions, and knowing adults who engaged in criminal behavior. School discipline was connected to race differences in police citizen interactions. The authors note that additional research is needed to examine the consequences of juvenile and police interactions.